Sure-Fire Streaming: Indecent Proposal, Four Christmases, Memento, and more
By Jordan Parker
The best in TV and film from your living room.
Indecent Proposal – Available On Netflix
While some may find the subject matter intensely trashy – the film scandalized audiences in 1993 – Indecent Proposal is a film almost everyone has at least heard of.
From shocking director Adrian Lyne came this film about a billionaire who offered a married couple $1-million for a night with the wife.
As deceit, jealousy and manipulation worm their way into the lives of couple David and Diana, they soon curse the decision to become involved with the deceitful John.
It's the cast that make this work, with Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore and Robert Redford lending some professionalism and class to the proceedings.
Harrelson – in his first post-Cheers dramatic role – is fantastic, and Moore is as good as ever. With a great supporting turn from Oliver Platt and a short, very characteristic turn from Billy Bob Thornton, this is one you watch for the actors.
It's certainly not high art, but it's definitely entertaining in its own dramatic, soapy way.
Love Hard – Available On Netflix
Well folks, Christmas is on its way, and so are the schmaltzy holiday movies.
But something about this adorable, snowy romantic comedy just made me happier than I expected it to.
It follows an unlucky L.A. Columnist who chronicles her terrible dates. But when she meets a guy on a dating app from across the country who piques her interest, she can't help but throw caution to the wind.
When she goes to surprise him at his home for Christmas, she realizes she's been duped, and the man she's been texting and calling isn't the same person.
The two find some mutually-beneficial reasons to spend the Holidays together, despite some serious trust issues.
This cutesy flick benefits from a game cast, including Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang, due to their great chemistry. Darren Barnet, James Saito and Harry Shum Jr are all also fantastic.
It's adorable, familiar and it's the equivalent of holiday comfort food. If you're seeking some early Christmas delight, this will do the trick.
Four Christmases – Available On Prime Video
One of my absolute favourite, guilty pleasure Christmas movies is this one.
Director Seth Gordon – known for Horrible Bosses – creates this hilarious, absolutely adorable comedy about family relations at holiday time.
It follows an unmarried couple who avoid the trappings and conventions of children, settling down and plenty of other rites of passage for adults.
Chief among their antics is lying to their all four of their divorced parents, and pretending they do charity work every Christmas to avoid visiting and dealing with their difficult relatives.
They go on lavish trips each and every holiday together.
However, when they're caught in a lie they're stuck visiting every single parent on Christmas day, a task that pushes their relationship to the brink.
The cast is incredible, and Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon are entirely, completely perfect with each other. Their chemistry is electric.
Joining them as their crazy family members are Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw and more.
This movie is one of my Christmas staples, and my family and I laugh endlessly every single time.
Pain & Gain – Available On Netflix
This stranger-than-fiction tale, based on a string of magazine articles by Pete Collins, is one of the best movies in the careers of all involved.
It also happens to be the most mature, intense effort from Michael Bay, who foregoes his usual pyrotechnics to give us a real story.
Pain & Gain follows the true story of three bodybuilders from Florida who end up in the middle of an extortion and kidnapping plot.
The performances are fantastic top-to-bottom, but most of the credit goes to Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie, who carry this one.
It's intense, interesting, funny and unusually dark for a Michael Bay film, but that works to its advantage.
A movie many ignored, this is your chance to revisit this one and discover it's whacky charms.
Memento – Available On Prime Video
This is one of the best American films of the 21st century, and the movie that made a force to be reckoned with out of its director.
Writer and directed by Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception), it follows a man who awakes with short-term memory loss and no idea what's happened to him.
He tries to track down the murdered who killed his wife, and tattoos clues on his body so he can refer back to them day-to-day.
Intricately-told, it also benefits from the wonderful performances from Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and especially scene-stealing Joe Pantoliano.
It's one of the most intricate, well-told films of the 2000's, and you notice something new to love and cherish about it with each viewing.